A man in Santiago, Chile, received a significantly higher salary payment due to a payroll error but managed to keep the money after a prolonged legal battle. The incident involved an employee of Consorcio Industrial de Alimentos (CIAL), a company focusing on processed food production and marketing in Latin America, who received 330 times his expected salary by mistake.
In May 2022, the distribution assistant, anticipating 500,000 pesos (approximately €522), discovered an unexpected deposit of 165,398,851 million Chilean pesos, equivalent to around $180,000 or €172,000 in his bank account. Initially, the man notified the company about the error and expressed intentions to return the excess amount. However, he later disappeared for three days and eventually resigned through his attorney, retaining the money while ending his employment.
Despite the company filing a theft complaint against the employee, claiming he had no right to the funds, the legal battle over three years focused on whether the employee had committed theft. The worker’s legal representatives argued that the deposit was entirely accidental, with no fraudulent activities on the employee’s part.
In September 2025, a Santiago court ruled in favor of the employee, determining that the incident was not theft but rather ‘unauthorized appropriation,’ a non-punishable offense under Chilean law. The court emphasized that the mistaken deposit was solely the company’s responsibility, and the employee had not manipulated the payment system.
Had the employee been found guilty of theft, he could have faced imprisonment, a criminal record, and repayment obligations. However, as the court classified the case as unauthorized appropriation, the charges were dismissed, allowing the man to keep the unexpected windfall.
While the company considers pursuing civil action to recover the funds, experts recommend that employees promptly report overpayments and advise on the legal implications. Despite potential future actions by CIAL, the former employee can currently enjoy the life-changing deposit he received.
If you discover an overpayment, it is advisable to notify the relevant departments promptly to avoid legal complications. Taking timely and transparent actions can prevent future disputes and ensure compliance with legal obligations.